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When doing a smokey eye, DO YOUR EYES FIRST. Yes, before the rest of your face! I know it sounds backwards but when working with darker eyeshadow colours, if there is any fallout under your eye or on your cheeks, you can just wipe it away with some makeup remover and avoid looking like a raccoon. Smokey eyes can be done using any colour family. You just need a medium and dark version of that tone… for example, black and grey. But you can play with the idea of a smoky eye using browns, plums, greens…. Whatever colour takes your fancy! Start with your eyeshadow base. Make sure it’s over your lid and above the crease of the eyelid. Using a teardrop shaped eyeshadow brush, pick up the medium tone by swirling the tip of the brush into the eyeshadow one or two times. Then put the tip of the brush into your eyelid crease and move the brush back and forth like a windshield wiper. If you feel like too much colour has been deposited, wipe the brush off on a piece of tissue and use the “naked” brush to blend that colour down. Don’t try to wipe it away with your fingertip… it’ll just get darker!! Take the darker eyeshadow colour and use a medium flat paddle-shaped brush to apply the shadow over the lower part of the lid (from the lashes to the crease). Use the teardrop shaped brush to softly blur the edge between the two colours. If desired, use a soft eyeshadow colour that is just a touch lighter than your skin to add a highlight with the medium paddle shaped brush under the brow. Try not to use a shiny shadow to do this. Matte is the way to go here. Using an angle brush, pick up the darker shade of eyeshadow to apply a soft, blurry line to the bottom lashline (under the bottom lashes). Use a black (or very dark) eyeliner pencil to line the top lashline and the under lashline… You want to apply the pencil to the waterline of the eye (inside the eye by the lashes). Sounds scary, but just take your time and be gentle! This trick makes your eyes really stand out! Loads of mascara! And, if you are really going all out, add some false lashes (see the red-carpet ready tip I describe in the Old Hollywood look). At this point, feel free to wipe away any excess eyeshadow that has dropped with a makeup wipe or a q-tip and makeup remover. Continue with concealer, foundation, powder etc. and choose a soft blush shade to compliment this look. Keep the lips soft. A nude tone is best. With this look the focus is all about the EYES! Red carpet-ready tip: take a very shiny eyeshadow that is an off-white tone and with a clean lip brush, apply this lighter shadow around the tear-duct of the inner eye for an INSTANT pop that wakes up your eyes! This works with ANY of the looks you do!!)
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